THE COST AT CHECKOUT
When does free beauty delivery actually save money?
A smaller delivery charge is useful only if your complete order costs less. Compare the products you intended to buy, then decide whether collection, a code or an extra item changes the result.
By discounts.ie · Policy research reviewed · Our method
| Shop | What to compare | Policy source |
|---|---|---|
| Boots | Standard delivery €5; free over €100 of qualifying products. Collection has a lower €25 threshold. | Boots delivery policy ↗Reviewed |
| Cloud 10 Beauty | Tracked delivery €4.95; free over €65. Next working day delivery is a separate €5.95 service. | Cloud 10 Beauty delivery policy ↗Reviewed |
| LOOKFANTASTIC | Standard delivery €4.95 on all orders in the published policy; express delivery €10. | LOOKFANTASTIC Ireland delivery information ↗Reviewed |
| McCabes Pharmacy | An Post €6.50 below €58 and free above €58; DHL €7.50. Exactly €58 needs a basket check. | McCabes delivery terms ↗Reviewed |
| Sculpted by Aimee | Republic of Ireland standard shipping €5 below €55 and free above €55; check exactly €55. | Sculpted by Aimee delivery charges ↗Reviewed |
Published policy information, not a checkout quote or reservation. Confirm current eligibility, availability and the final total before paying. Policy review dates do not refresh the dates on offers.
Start with a basket you actually want
Write down the exact product, size and shade. Compare those items across shops that have them in stock. A larger bottle, a different formulation or a gift set may have a different unit price, but it is not the same purchase. Keep the quantity fixed while comparing a public code, a sale price or a personal welcome offer.
Use this calculation for each option: product subtotal − eligible discount + delivery = amount to pay. Do not count points or an unwanted gift as an immediate cash reduction. If the basket has excluded products, calculate the discount on eligible items only.
A worked example: the code is not the whole saving
This is an illustrative calculation, not a live product offer. Suppose the same item costs €30 at two shops. Shop A accepts a 10% code and charges €4.95 delivery: €30 − €3 + €4.95 = €31.95. Shop B charges €29 with €2.50 collection: the total is €31.50 before any travel cost. The larger advertised reduction does not produce the lower checkout total.
Should you top up to a delivery threshold?
Calculate how much extra qualifying spend is needed and compare it with the fee you avoid. If an unwanted item adds €8 but saves €5 delivery, you pay €3 more. If you already need the extra item, compare the combined basket with buying it later; do not treat its cost as zero.
Threshold wording matters. “Over” and “at least” are different, and some published policies leave equality unclear. Where the comparison flags this, the checkout delivery line is the deciding evidence. A discount may also change qualifying spend, so check again after applying it.
When collection or express delivery makes sense
Collection can work well when you are already passing the shop. For a special journey, include transport and parking. Wait for the retailer’s collection confirmation before travelling. If you need an order by a particular day, check the dispatch cutoff, working-day estimate and stock rather than relying on the service name alone.
How we made this comparison
We compared the official delivery pages linked in the table for five retailers already in our beauty directory. This is a policy comparison, not a ranking of every beauty shop in Ireland. We have not submitted identical product baskets at these shops or tested delivery to a specific address. Promotional exceptions and product restrictions can change the charge.
We keep policy review dates separate from offer check dates. The examples above use stated assumptions so you can repeat the calculation with your own basket.